Potato-harvester



(No Model.) 'l 3 sheets-sheen 1.

P. SCHAEPER. POTATO HARVESTER.

No. 515,171. Patented'Feb. 20, 1894.

(No Model.)

v 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

F. SGHAEFBR.

POTATO HARVESTER.

L LITHOGRPHING COMPANY (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

' F. SCHAEFER.

POTATO HARVESTER.

Patented Peb; 2o, 1894.

FRED SCHAEFERNOF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA.

POTATO-HARVESTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N o. 515,171, dated February 20, 1891.

` Application led May 9, 1892. Serial No.432 ,238. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FRED SGHAEFER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Minneapolis, in the county of Hennepin and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Potato -IIarvesters; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and eXact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled inV the art to which it appertains tomake and use the same.

My invention relates to potato harvesters; and has for its object to provide an improved machine for this classof work.

To this end, the invention consists of certain novel devices and combinations of devices, which will be hereinafter fully described and be particularly defined in the claims.

A machine, constructed in accordance with my invention, is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein, like letters referring to like parts throughout the several views- Figure lis a longitudinal vertical section through the entire machine. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same, some parts -being broken away. Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical section of the receiver detached, looking toward the rear; and Fig. 4 is a front view of a part of the digger proper and of the vine clearer.

A B C represents a four wheeled truck; of which A are the front wheels, B the rear wheels, and C the truck frame.

D is a triangular frame for supporting the digger proper and its immediately connected parts. This frame extends upward through the truck frame and is pivoted on the rear truck axle as shown at d. At its lower end, this frame carries a shear or shovel E set between vertical side mold boards E. These parts constitute the digger proper and serve to turn up the ground and unearth the potatoes, under the forward motion of the machine, the shovel being of a width equal to that of the row of potatoes. Directly back of the shovel, extending at an upward incline, is located a grating F, which is conveniently made of iron bars arranged lengthwise of the frame; which bars, as shown, are secured at their lower ends to the back of the shovel, and at their upper ends project over and are Directly back of the grating, and extendi ing upward therefrom, is located an elevator, which consists of a chain and toothed slat, endless carrier G, sprocket wheel drums g supporting and driving the carrier, and the slatted elevator deck g. The elevator is so related to the grating, at its lower end, that V the teeth on the slats of the endless carrier will work through the slots or spaces between the bars of the grating. The elevatoris also provided with slatted side boards G. The openings between the slats of the elevator deck and of the side boards, permit the free passage therethrough, of any loose dirt or small, worthless potatoes which may be carried upward by the endless carrier, while retaining the potatoes of the desired grade.

H is a receiver secured to the digger frame at the head of the elevator, and receiving from the endless carrier. This receiver is provided with two discharge chutes or bagger heads H H2; and a shunt valve I-l3 with hand lever H4, located at the angle of the bagger heads, for alternately discharging the potatoes through one or the other of the said heads at will.

H5 is a seat fixed to the rear end of the truck frame in convenient position for a workman to handle the bags or other receptacles into which the potatoes are discharged from the bagger heads.

The digger frame carries, near its lower end a pair of segmental racks K, which extend upward through the truck frame. As shown, these lifting racks work between keepers K fixed to the side bars of the truck frame. On the top of the truck frame is 1ocated, a cross shaft l), which is provided with a pair of pinions P which engage with the said racks. This shaft, which for distinction may bev called the lifting shaft, is also provided with a notched disk P2, with which engages the latch of a hand-latch lever P3. This latch-lever is loosely pivoted on the lifting shaft, and by means of the same, in co-operation with the notched disk, the shaft may be IOO shaft and pinions. lBoth of these lock bolts` are connected through bell cranks fr, with a rock shaft R2, mounted in bearings on the truck frame and provided with a forwardly extended foot lever R3. The drivers seat R4 1s located on the truck withinconvenient reach of the hand lever P3 and the foot lever R". By the coincident use of the foot lever and the hand lever, the operator may raise or lower the shovel end of the digger frame at will..

Directly above the shovvel and grating, in position for action on the vines, as the earth is l-ifted and loosened up by the's-hovel, is located a vine clearer S. This vineV clearer consists of a drum like shaft and radial spring fingers. The shaft is journaled in suitable bearing lugs projecting from the lifting racks. The vine clearer is set at an oblique angle to the line of draft so as to conduct the vines to one side of the machine. The teeth of the vine `clearerpwork through a clearing comb S which vis fixed to the lifting racks above the vii-ne clearer. The vine clearer shaft is connectedl at its left end by a knuckle joint S2, with th'e hu-b of a sprocket wheel S3 which is journaled in a bearing bracket S4, projecting from the left hand lifting rack. This vine clearer sprocket is connected by a chain S5 with a sprocket S6 on the left end of the lower elevator drum Shaft. At its right end this elevator drum shaft is connected by a pair of miter gears T, with the main driving shaft T', which is mounted in suitable bearings T2 project-ing from the side of the dig-ger frame, andV is provided at its upper end, with a bevel pinion T3 in engagement with a bevel gear T4 cut on the hub of theright hand member of the rear truck wheel. Through this train of gearing, motion is imparted from the drive wheels of the truck to the endless carrier of the elevator and to the vine clearer.

The operation of the machine is obvious. The lower end of the digger frameis lowered so as to set the shovel to the desired depth of out; and, under the forward motion of the machine, the earth and potatoes will be forced upward over the grating; and as the earth is loosened up, the vine clearer will catch the vines and throw the same forward and outward to one side of the machine. In other words, the clearer works against the top of the furrowas lifted up and loosened by the shovel. The loosened dirt and the small potatoes will, for the most part, pass directly backward through the grating. The desirable potatoes and solne of the dirt will be forced upward onto the endless carrier and be thereby elevated over the carrier deck. In this part of the travel, the balance of the dirt and the small potatoes will be dropped out or through the elevator and the desirable potatoes will be .delivered at the head of the elevator into the receiver K. From this receiver they are discharged into bags or other receptacles, as hereinbefore stated.

What I claim,'and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is as follows:

l. The combination with the truck, of the digging-frame carried thereby, the shovel at the lower end of said. frame and a vine clearer, located for l'action on the ground or vines as lifted by the shovel, said vine clearer comprising a revoluble drum .provided with projecting fingers, the said drum being arranged with its axis at an oblique angle to the direction of the machi-nes travel, whereby the vines will be thrown forward and toward one side, under the action of the clearer, substantially as described. Y

2. The combination with the truck, of the d igging-frame carried thereby, the shovel at 'the lower end of said frame and a vine clearer located for action on the ground or Vines as lifted by the shovel, said vine clearer comprising the revoluble drum provided with projecting fingers,and the fixed comb through whichthe fingers of said drum work, theparts being arranged and operating, substantially as described.

3. The combination with the truck, of the digger-frame, the shovel on the lower end of the frame, and the vine-clearer consisting of a shaft or drum located at an oblique angle to the line of the machines travel and provided with radial spring-arms for engaging the'vines and removing the same out of the way as the furrow is lifted by the shovel, substantially as described. v y

4. In a potato digger, the combination with the elevator D. G, pivoted on the truck axle, of the receiver H, rigidly secured to the head of the elevator and provided with the pairof projecting divergent chutes H H2, and the shunt valve H and lever H4 at the convergent angle of the said chutes, substantially as, and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my s-ignaturei-n presence of two witnesses.

FRED SOHAEFER.

Witnesses:

JAs. F. WILLIAMSON, E. F. ELMORE.

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